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Hargis announces resignation as swimming and diving head coach

July 1, 2013

Hargis announces resignation as swimming and diving head coach

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State men's and women's swimming & diving head coach John Hargis announced his resignation, effective June 30. Hargis will be returning to his alma mater, Auburn, where he will serve as associate head coach. Penn State Director of Athletics Dave Joyner said a national search will immediately begin for his successor.

"I would like to thank John for his outstanding service to Penn State," Joyner said. "He has brought both the men's and women's programs to new heights and the future is very bright our swimming & diving teams. I wish John the best of luck in his return to his alma mater."

"My 5 years in Happy Valley have been wonderful," Hargis said. "The success we have had both in the pool and classroom is a true testament to the student-athletes we have guided through the program. State College will always be a special place in mine and my families lives. I can promise you we will forever be Penn State proud!"

Hargis has moved the Nittany Lion swimming & diving programs into the national spotlight with both teams sitting in the Top 25 during the 2012-13 season. Last season, Penn State swimmers broke school records on 15 different occasions, while 39 women and 16 men wrote their names onto the all-time top-10 in school history. There were 13 women and seven men that participated at the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships with one men's and one women's diver participating at the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships. A pair of men's relay teams claimed first team All-America honors, while nine different swimmers claimed 10 honorable mention All-American accolades.

During his first four seasons at the helm, Hargis has seen 10 of his pupils write their names atop of the record books on the women's side in their respective events and all five relay school records have been set during his time in University Park. On the national level, 10 different women's swimmers have garnered All-America accolades on 30 occasions and 17 of his female student-athletes competed at the 2012 US Olympic Trials. The Nittany Lion women's team has also excelled in the classroom with 88 student-athletes claiming Academic All-Big Ten honors during Hargis' tenure. In 2011, Hargis served as an assistant coach on the USA Swimming World University Games staff, where he worked with Nittany Lion Amy Modglin.

The men's program has also enjoyed its fair share of success with 11 student-athletes claiming All-America honors on 24 occasions under Hargis. In 2012, 17 Penn Staters headed to Omaha, Neb. to compete in the US Olympic Trials and during his first season at the helm he coached backstroker Patrick Schirk to a silver medal at the World University Games in the 200 backstroke. The men's squad has also found success in the classroom with 45 student-athletes taking home Academic All-Big Ten accolades under Hargis.